


The Other Half's the Surf

by truebluemoon



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Beach Holidays, But also Santa?, Chloe and Max have some fun, F/F, Fluff, Holidays, Santa Monica Dream, Self-Indulgent, everything is fine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 11:10:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13145442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truebluemoon/pseuds/truebluemoon
Summary: Max and Chloe finally make it.





	The Other Half's the Surf

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays, Life is Strange fans!

It was strange to be in California after everything that happened.

It was even stranger that they were there celebrating the holidays.

Max was walking down the boardwalk with Chloe, the both of them holding very unfestive ice cream cones. Well, mostly Max’s ice cream cone. Chloe’s was mostly just cone now. They looked more than a little out of place, Max in her T-shirt and Chloe in barely more than a tank-top. Everybody else was bundled up in jackets and avoiding the beach, but the beach was why Max and Chloe were even there. They were lucky that California weather wasn’t the cold they were used to.

The sky above was so light it almost passed for white, so Max supposed that was close enough to that archetypical “White Christmas.” California Christmas wasn’t a variety of holiday that Max was used to. Instead of freezing winds, rain, maybe even a little snow, there was overcast skies and soft breezes that felt a little like a kiss.

But there were lights. That Santa Monica had in spades.

Street lamps and shops and décor all around them were covered in lights. It was like one big advertisement. Passing pedestrians headed towards them like moths attracted to a flame.

“I guess they’re all getting their last minute shopping in,” Max observed with a tilt of her head. She leaned down to lick more of her ice cream.

“We don’t exactly have the cash for that,” Chloe said, climbing down into the sand. She hit the beach with a stumble but recovered. She reached out a hand for Max. “But let’s have our own Christmas, hippie.”

Max couldn’t help the way her lips stretched into a grin. “It was nice of you to reserve the beach all to ourselves.” And she set her hand in Chloe’s, letting her pull her down into the sand with her. Chloe caught her in her arms, and they rocked into the hug, back and forth. “Very romantic.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chloe played along, “whatever you want.”

Max continued their game. “And did my sugar daddy bring the champagne?”

Chloe threw back her head and laughed. “Did you seriously just call me “daddy?”” She laughed and laughed, more than she ever did on the car ride over here.

Max pushed Chloe’s shoulder. “Hardy-har- _har_.”

“Oh come on, you have to admit. It’s hilarious to hear you say _that_ , of all the shit you could’ve called me.” Chloe was looking down at her with one of those playful smiles that never failed to make Max melt inside.

“Do you hate it?” Max asked, a brow raising in curiosity.

“Maybe let’s stick to “Chloe,”” She suggested.

“Chloe it is,” Max said and grasped her hand again. “Come on! We only have so much time till nightfall.” She pulled her along as she went towards the shoreline. “Let’s make it count!”

They ran together, hand-in-hand, across the beach. They kept almost falling from the uneven ground, but they didn’t care. It was a rare moment of wild, carefree joy. Something about the California beach felt different than the beaches back home in Arcadia Bay, or even the ones back in Seattle. It wasn’t just warmer. There was this intangible magic to the way the sea salt scent surrounded them, the way the Santa Monica sands felt beneath the soles of their shoes, the way the sun shined and dimmed above them. That wasn’t a hot summer day, nor was it a cozy winter night, but it was something wholly different and maybe even more beautiful.

They went to the shore and felt the ice cold water meet their hands, and they splashed the ocean water like they were ready for war.

“Hey! Not the shirt- not the- Ahaha!” Chloe cringed and giggled. Chloe fucking Price goddamn _giggled_. Max hasn’t heard her giggle since she was twelve.

“Oh no!” The ocean water nearly got to her messenger bag. Max barely turned in time. So she got the bright idea to take a breather, sliding it off and setting it nearby.

But Chloe used that destruction for her evil schemes. Before Max even realized what was going on, Max’s back was in the water, the tide pushing the sea into her side over and over.

And Chloe was on top of her, and Max found herself laughing.

“Okay, okay!” Max raised her hands between them. “I’m metaphorically waving my white flag right now.”

“Aw, you give up so quickly,” Chloe teased, her wet hair dipping down to tickle at Max’s cheek.

“Hey, I have leverage to negotiate,” Max argued. Then, when Chloe blinked, having no clue what she’s talking about, Max chuckled. “Your gift?”

“My what?” _Oh, Chloe’s so cute._

“You didn’t think I neglected to snag you a gift while you were getting gas yesterday?” Max watched Chloe sit up from her position above her, shifting her legs to straddle her. Chloe’s head turned to look at Max’s messenger bag before turning her attention back to Max herself.

“I- Holy shit, Max, I didn’t-”

“Shh! It’s fine! Your gift is spending all that moolah on the travel expenses,” Max insisted, propping herself up by the elbows.

“But I didn’t even _think_ to-” And Max’s finger was on Chloe’s lips, an effective shushing gesture if there ever was one.

“Stop that,” Max instructed, “and open your dumb gift.”

Chloe climbed off of Max and crawled towards the messenger bag. Max watched her take out a baggie of multicolored pads. “Uh-”

“Ew, no, Chloe! They might call it “Nature’s monthly gift,” but that’s _so_ not what I was thinking.”

So Chloe dug deeper, her hand coming out of the bag with a guitar pick. “Cool! I like the little flames on it.”

“I miss when we used to play together,” Max said. “I know you sold yours years ago, but… Maybe some day…”

“Yeah, of course, Max.” Chloe kept staring at the pick between her fingers. “Thanks.”

At that, Max got up, pulling herself from the water’s grip, and she hugged Chloe nice and tight. “It’s been a crazy year. I’m just glad you’re here with me. You don’t need to get me a gift this year to show you care.”

Chloe hands rest on Max’s back, her arms snug and comforting around her. “Okay, but _next year_ -” Chloe started.

“Next year you better get me something awesome,” Max agreed.

“Like some kind of dinosaur skeleton from one of those museums, with uh,” Chloe said.

“With a huge magician’s cape,” Max continued.

“And an eyepatch,” Chloe nodded, her cheek rustling Max’s hair.

“Because it’s a pirate dinosaur,” Max said. “Captain Bluebeard always has the best taste.”

“You know it!” Chloe replied, and Max heard the smile in her voice. She released her from the hug, and she was happy to see she was right. Chloe’s smile was a beacon in a storm. “Hopefully, I’ll get it on _sail_. A real _buried treasure_!”

Max smiled back. “You’re such a dork.”

Chloe sat herself down in front of the shoreline, and Max plopped herself down next to her. The sound of the ocean was ever present in the background, like the haunting of a ghost in a mansion. “It’s so fucking nice to be out here with you, today.” A Christmas ghost, probably, in this case.

“Hella nice,” Max offered, leaning over to rest her head on Chloe’s shoulder. “I missed spending the holidays with you.”

“I missed it, too,” Chloe admitted, raising an arm to wrap around her. Her hand patted the side of Max’s arm. “But what’s crazy is it almost felt like you never left. Of course I’m still mad, but you came _back_.”

“And you finally made it,” Max said. “ _We_ made it.”

“Finally out of Arcadia Bay,” Chloe added, wistfully.

“Do you miss it?” Max nuzzled her shoulder. “Arcadia Bay was our home, after all.”

“Maybe a little,” Chloe said. “Like how you miss a scab when it’s gone, kinda. It was annoying as hell, but it was still a part of you, right?”

“I guess we’ll never really escape from it,” Max said. “We’ll always be from there.”

“We’re here _now_ , together,” Chloe pointed out, “and that’s what matters.”

“Happy Holidays, Chloe,” Max said.

Chloe kissed the top of Max’s head. “Happy Holidays, Max.”

A shopping bag is dropped on their shared lap. “Sorry to interrupt your date, but,” that familiar voice piped in, “you didn’t think I was just fucking around at the mall?”

“No way! You got us gifts?” Max raised her head to look Rachel Amber square in the face.

“I should be insulted you expected otherwise!” Rachel wrapped her arms around them and gave her two friends a squeeze. “Just because you’re dating my ex doesn’t make you persona-non-grata, Max.”

“Whateva, Rach,” Chloe grinned.

Rachel tilted her head towards Chloe. “And just because a certain someone _didn’t_ get me a gift,” She pointed out, “doesn’t mean I will hold it against you forever.”

“Rachel, look in my stuff,” Max told her. “Your gift’s in there.” Then, she quickly added, “From Chloe _and_ me.”

“Nice save,” Chloe smirked.

“Score!” Rachel did a fist pump in her air, her hair bouncing with the movement. “Thanks, my dear darling Maxine. I knew you were my favorite Blackwell Babe for a reason!”

“Uh-huh,” Max rolled her eyes, resting her head back on Chloe’s shoulder. She was feeling too good-natured to tell her, _it’s Max, not Maxine_.

Rachel cooed over the cute little lion plushie and its adorned Santa hat. “It’s good to know that even lion cubs get coal in their stockings. A little blue maned lion called…” She paused, to think. “Cub-lee Price? Chloe Paw-ce?”

“Shut up!” Chloe laughed, only to stoop to her level. “Rawr-chel Amber?”

“You gotta be _kitten_ me,” Max rolled her eyes, to which Chloe clapped her on the back.

Rachel sat beside Chloe, taking off her shoes and dipping her toes in water in front of them.

Chloe stretched out her arms towards the ocean in front of them. “So here it is, our Santa Monica dream!”

“Better in the summer,” Rachel mentioned, sounding unimpressed.

“We could always come back, though!” Max said.

“I don’t know,” Chloe confessed, “I kind of like it like this.” She gave Max’s shoulders a squeeze. “Hey, you feel like a photo op?”

“That would require _getting up_ ,” Max stated, “And, sue me, I want to take in the moment, for once.”

“Take your time,” Rachel told her. “Good shots come to those who wait.”

“Yeah,” Chloe said, “we got time.”


End file.
